In a tragic road accident near the Dhilwan flyover in Kapurthala district late last night, two persons lost their lives and one sustained serious injuries after a speeding Innova collided with a stationary tractor attached to a sugar beet machine.
According to the police, the car was returning from Ludhiana to Amritsar when the incident occurred. The deceased have been identified as Pankaj Aneja (55), a textile businessman from Amritsar, who was driving the car, and an unidentified individual believed to have been seated in the front passenger seat. Aneja died on the spot.
The third occupant of the vehicle Shashipal, who was seated in the rear seat, sustained critical injuries. He was initially taken to a hospital in the Beas but was later shifted to a medical facility in Amritsar, where he remains under treatment. Aneja’s brother Ravinder Kumar suffered minor injuries and survived the crash.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Dalvinderbir Singh of Dhilwan police station stated that the Innova crashed into the tractor from the driver’s side. The tractor was reportedly parked on the roadside due to a punctured tire and was not properly marked or illuminated.
Following the incident, the police reached the scene and seized both tractor and the sugar beet harvesting machine. Tractor driver Partap Singh of Alewal village in Zira, Ferozepur, fled the scene and is currently absconding. An FIR has been registered against him.
The police have launched a search operation to locate and arrest the accused. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and were handed over to the families after the examination.